Clearing the "Rules of Burial" Instance (Part One)
Outside world.
Ji Yang stared intently at the young man on the screen, even subconsciously holding his breath.
In the picture.
The young man did not return directly to the Ancestral Hall, but instead turned and walked towards the small door.
He saw the other party persuade the Seventh Concubine with just a few words, saw them break the seal on the back well, saw the yellow dog named Xueke jump into the well and retrieve a heavy booklet, and saw the young man return to the kitchen and throw the booklet into the Stove Hearth.
Only after the paper curled and turned black in the fire, and was finally burned completely, did the young man leave the kitchen without looking back.
The other party still did not return to the Ancestral Hall, but walked straight towards the Shen Family's gate.
He continued to watch as the young man confronted the butler, who had appeared at the door at some unknown time, and saw the young man shut down all the butler's questions with the words, "I am not Shen Family, and I have no reason to stay here."
The moment the young man stepped out of the door, a beam of white light appeared beneath his feet.
Ji Yang: "..."
Comments: "..."
A moment later.
[Oh, I've already cleared the game?]
[I haven't even reacted yet. No, is burning the Clan Genealogy all it takes?]
[I specifically captured a screenshot of the butler's emoji]
[248: I'm not Shen Family butler:... Huh?]
[So it's really that simple? Just burn the Clan Genealogy?]
[The key question is, how did Master Xu Xi know that burning the Clan Genealogy was useful?]
[No, no, no, it should be: how did they know the Clan Genealogy was in the well?]
[Shouldn't the key be how they knew to let that yellow dog retrieve the Clan Genealogy??]
[Are there really no steps missing in this process? (Open my big, bright eyes)]
Ji Yang finally made a move.
He began to switch perspectives.
Xing Ge and the others were all guarding their respective rooms, their nerves taut, seemingly not daring to relax for a moment.
Hang Ze is still attending another unusual funeral in the Otherworld.
[Old Ji, have you figured anything out yet?]
"I have some ideas, but they might not be accurate," Ji Yang said, as if he had confirmed something. "It's just reverse reasoning."
"First, there are the various rules of the Shen Manor. These rules may seem correct on the surface, but they are likely incomplete, and not everyone is required to abide by them."
"For example, the seven rules for keeping watch: Who needs to keep watch? Naturally, it's Master Shen's children."
"Secondly, the Shen Family owes a debt, but we don't know exactly what that debt is, nor do we know if Master Shen's death is related to it. However, one thing is worth pondering: why did that Seventh Concubine remove her son's name from the Clan Genealogy?"
"It's reasonable to assume that this debt is inheritable. Seventh Concubine doesn't want her son to continue repaying this debt, which is why she wants to remove him from the Shen Family."
"Due to the Shen Family's rule that 'outsiders are not allowed to peruse the Clan Genealogy,' Seventh Concubine had no choice but to ask the player, who is a 'child of the Shen Family,' for help. However, judging from Hang Ze's Livestream Room, Seventh Concubine's son has already died, and perhaps his death was also related to paying off debts. Therefore, her act of still wanting to cross out her son's name is quite interesting."
"Similarly, as the children of Master Shen in name only, the players also have an obligation to bear the Shen Family's debts. So how can they avoid repaying these debts? Seventh Concubine has already given us the answer."
Although Ji Yang's long-winded explanation was somewhat convoluted, quick-thinking netizens had already pieced together its logic.
[Got it, the core of this Dungeon is actually about hiding from debts.]
"That's right." Ji Yang nodded. "And to cross out names, besides knowing each player's identity information, the most crucial Item is the Clan Genealogy... and what do we use to cross them out?"
[But Xu Xi just burned the Clan Genealogy?]
[As expected of 248, always able to find a solution outside the rules even within the rules]
"Yes," Ji Yang said, "He was never bound by the rules."
[I have a question: why didn't the other players clear the dungeon together? This isn't some free-for-all Mixed-Team Competition; shouldn't the Dungeon rewards be for everyone?]
"Because one of the rules is that the funeral must be held for at least seven days, and one cannot leave before then," Ji Yang explained casually. "This rule seems strange on its own, but if you combine it with the analysis you just did..."
"Who can leave before seven days are up? Outsiders, of course. Therefore, the prerequisite for settlement should be that the player must leave the Shen Residence as an outsider."
[I see]
The viewers in the live chat suddenly realized what was going on.
"Of course, all the above analysis is just my personal speculation, and it still lacks a lot of evidence."
Ji Yang continued switching screens.
"The Dungeon can now be completed. Once the other players leave the Shen Family's gate, the dungeon will be completely cleared."
*
Inside the side room.
Yu Hao sat at the table, idly fanning himself with a folding fan.
His gaze fell on the tightly closed doors and windows, and his brows furrowed involuntarily.
The eerie conversation did not repeat itself tonight.
Could this be an important clue?
He secretly speculated, but he wasn't particularly disappointed.
After all, the player with the earring is still missing.
Whether the voices were a clue or a trap, no one could say for sure.
Yu Hao closed his folding fan, got up, walked to the window, and listened intently.
It remained quiet outside the window.
The Shen Family, burdened with an unknown "debt," the late Master Shen who had been trying to repay it all his life, and the Seventh Concubine who wanted to remove her son's name from the Clan Genealogy...
Putting aside the question of what exactly the Shen Family's "debt" was, and how Master Shen repaid it, the question is: why did Seventh Concubine cross out her son's name?
The answer seems obvious—to prevent their son from being entangled in debt.
Removing someone's name from the Clan Genealogy means they have to leave the Shen Family.
What about these "returning children"? Are they also on the Clan Genealogy? Do they also need to bear this "debt"?
Is the logic that crossing out a name will get you out of trouble the same for everyone?
If they are the same, what do you use to cross them out? And what happens after you cross them out?
The Seventh Concubine asked them for help because the Shen Family's Clan Genealogy does not allow outsiders to read it.
However, Yu Hao suddenly thought of a crucial question.
None of the seven players knew their own "names".
The steward and servants of the Shen Manor only addressed them by their verbal titles.
Moreover, they had never seen the son of that Seventh Concubine.
... The information is still incomplete.
Headache.
Yu Hao tapped his head with his folding fan.
At the same time, he was thinking about something else.
The order of the night watch is not fixed and can be changed, but...
What's special about the Ancestral Hall tonight?
He didn't believe that any player would willingly take risks for a stranger's teammate, unless there was a greater benefit hidden behind the risk.
So, what "benefits" will there be from the Ancestral Hall on the second night?
Yu Hao come up with an answer, but he had an inexplicable intuition.
He stood by the window for a while, and just as he was about to turn around, a loud bang exploded.
His eyes widened suddenly.